


Picture Perfect

by notstilinski



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game), Life Is Strange 2 (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pre-Canon, Just Some Good Ol' Family Fluff & Feels, Sean Diaz Is A Good Big Brother, Seven Year Old Sean Diaz and Infant Daniel Diaz, no beta readers we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:29:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27890788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notstilinski/pseuds/notstilinski
Summary: Daniel, falling closer and closer to the state of sleep, made a small noise and pressed closer to his brother. That brought a small smile to the seven year old’s lips. He was a big brother.
Kudos: 5





	Picture Perfect

**Author's Note:**

> This is a repost of an old fic that got deleted! This was written around when episode three came out and I still have not finished the game completely.
> 
> Original note: They might be a bit out of character since I haven’t been keeping up with the game and haven’t watched any playthroughs since before Christmas. I was also unsure if Esteban ever had a Spanish nickname for Sean so I used a well-known one.

The April sun shone down on the house and gave it an even more warm and welcoming feel than it already had. All the small Easter decorations that had been placed about the house and yard helped along with the warmth. It was almost like an image you would see on some homey postcard that you would send to their loved ones on vacation. It even, in a way, looked like some scene from a movie, emphasized by the warm, familial murmur of conversation and the sound of a child’s laughter.

Picture perfect.

Sean had managed to coax his father into playing in the yard with him and Stephen joined them outside a minute later. His mom and grandmother had centured as far as the table that had been set up for them to sit around and talk. Daniel, swaddled in a blanket and still small and squashed looking, remained with the women to be cooed over. In all honesty, Sean was glad that his mom had kept Daniel over there for the time being. He was fussy and had to quickly be changed out of his church outfit when he spit up on it. And onto Sean, who had been holding him. (Was it dumb to be upset with a baby? Yeah. He knew that and Esteban had gently explained that it was an accident. Daniel didn’t mean to do it… But there was some part of his seven year old brain that thought different).

“Grandpa!”

A small hand practically left a red hand print on Stephen’s back as Sean paused.

“You’re it!”

He had done a good job of convincing Stephen that he would be fine to play tag and keep up. At a little over fifty, the man could feel the threat of old age creep up on him. Esteban was still young enough that he didn’t even seem that phased by Sean’s energy. The man in question had taken advantage of the seven year old’s pause and there was a shriek as he wrapped his arms around the child, lifting him. The smile on his face was bright and almost matched Sean’s perfectly.

“Let’s leave Grandpa alone, mi hijo. Grandma made us lemonade.”

“Lemonade!” Sean called as all three boys moved toward the table.

Before they even sat down, Claire was rising from her seat to place cups in front of their seats and pour them all some lemonade. Sean heard his parents say something and could see Daniel. He finally seemed quiet and close to drifting off to sleep. Why couldn’t he be like that all the time? Sean thought to himself as he chugged his entire cup of lemonade. His grandmother shot him a quick look before reluctantly pouring him half a glass. He murmured a small ‘thank you’ and simply wrapped his hands around the cup.

The grownups started to talk to each other about whatever group up things they deemed important in that moment. Sean did try to pay attention to some of it but zoned out rather quickly. He found himself watching his baby brother over the rim of his glass as the adult conversation went on above his head.

“Do you want to hold him?” Dark eyes blinked slowly in surprise before they met grey ones.

-There was something behind her eyes, he would think years later. Even if he could never place it.-

His mother’s warm smile and his brother’s soft, squished face roused him from his seat. It wasn’t his first time holding Daniel, not by far. Karen was still carefully gentle as she placed the baby in his arms and Esteban was quick to adjust his eldest son’s grip. Both parents seemed to be glowing with pride at the sight before them.

-Was that the last time that they were as genuinely, purely happy? Sean couldn’t even remember that.-

“How sweet,” Stephen said with a small laugh.

“Wait-” Claire’s voice was moving away.

Sean cast a small glance toward his parents before he looked back at his brother. The excitement of having a sibling and being an older brother had blinded him to any thoughts of how much his life would change with the new addition to the family. Everything had changed but then it seemed like nothing changed. Plus it wasn’t Daniel’s fault! He was just a baby. He didn’t know anything. Daniel, falling closer and closer to the state of sleep, made a small noise and pressed closer to his brother. That brought a small smile to the seven year old’s lips.

He was a big brother.

A bright flash of light blinded him for a second and it took another second for his eyes to-

Adjust to the darnes. He brought his hand up to rub the heel of his palm against his eye to help him see better. Darkness and the shadow of trees towering around him while the fire continued to crackle a yard or two away from where he was. The child of the November night air had managed to creep into his clothes and past the protection of the fire. It still took a long, drawn out couple of moments for him to remember where they were. And why.

“Daniel,” Sean murmured and blindly reached a hand out to find the sleeping form of his brother.

The feel of Daniel’s body, still there and okay, accompanied by his soft breathing allowed Sean to relax. He adjusted his head on his arms and curled his body protectively around Daniel’s before he allowed his eyes to close.

He doubted that they were picture perfect now.

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a comment and-or kudos if you liked it!  
> I also post writing stuff on Tumblr!


End file.
